Maneka Gandhi asks Indian Ambassador to Spain to send abandoned MP girl back from Madrid, vows to ensure safe custody

New Delhi: Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday asked the Indian ambassador in Spain to send back the adopted girl who was abandoned by her foster parents in the country.

File image of Maneka Gandhi. AFP

She was reacting to a recent media report according to which a Spanish couple had abandoned the 13-year-old girl they adopted from an agency in Madhya Pradesh after they were allegedly deceived about her age.

The couple was reportedly told that the girl was seven years old at the time of adoption earlier in 2017.

"It is very unfortunate that the adopted girl has been abandoned in Spain. I have requested our Ambassador in Spain DB Venkatesh Varma to immediately send her back to India where we will ensure her rehabilitation and safe custody," the Minister said.

Gandhi also expressed her concern for the girl who is currently in foster care in some institution in Madrid and added that the Ministry is in the process of fixing the responsibility for the lapses which happened on the part of the Child Care Institution in Bhopal.